When you walk into a theater in 2025, the majority of movies being shown are either a remake or a sequel. Familiar franchises and nostalgia bring in big crowds, but often these sequels can feel like half-hearted money grabs lacking the spark from the original movie, taking the life away, and leaving audience members unfulfilled.

The original, Zootopia,  cemented a legacy as a very prestigious film with 24 awards, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. Going into Zootopia 2, I was very excited but cautious because of Disney’s reputation with modern sequels, and I was hoping it wasn’t another repackaged, stale addition to the original.

What happened in the next 108 minutes defied my expectations completely. Zootopia 2 transported me into the immersive world occupied by only animals that doesn’t just build off of the first movie’s proven blueprint of balancing humor and a feel-good plot with heavy themes such as corruption and discrimination, but expanded it by introducing new characters, conflicts, and themes that win over and engage audiences. 

In the latest installment, we jump back into the city of Zootopia with the newest and most unlikely duo in the Zootopia Police Department, Judy Hopps, a justice-driven rabbit voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, and Nick Wilde, the witty ex-con fox who always has something to say, voiced by Jason Bateman. 

After saving the city in the events of the first movie, they feel ready to take on anything, but are doubted by those around them. Their once-unstoppable bond starts to stumble, causing the duo to make a mistake that lands them off of investigative work and in a class for unfit partners. 

While off from investigative work, Judy finds evidence of a snake in Zootopia, the first in over a century. Her hunch is confirmed when the snake, Gary De’Snake, voiced by Ke Huy Quan, appears at a gala for a wealthy family and steals a journal as evidence of past events and escapes. She soon finds herself and Nick involved in a larger mystery involving finding Gary, discovering the truth behind why snakes disappeared from Zootopia, and revealing the hidden history of the city.

The path to these discoveries involves a perfectly paced story filled with humor, twists, turns, and new truths uncovered. These aspects keep fans of all ages engaged throughout the entirety of the film. 

The sequel provides an extension to the buddy-cop crime feel from the first, but goes deeper as it explores the difficulties of partnership and trust. Through Judy’s desire to change the world and Nick’s guarded outlook, shaped by childhood trauma, the movie tests their partnership and raises the question of whether a case is worth the danger.

The film also provides a master class on worldbuilding as everything seen on the screen immerses you into a world designed for animals big and small. As Nick and Judy explore Zootopia, they travel through the different sectors from the highest of mountains to the icy terrain of Tundratown and the hidden marsh market where the now-outcast reptiles live. This includes the different details the city holds, including a waterslide-esque tube system, different accommodations such as different doorways for different-sized animals, and weather walls tailored specifically so diverse animal species can live together.  This is also a key component of the conflict in the plot, which adds to the suspense. 

The movie keeps the plot moving and entertaining the whole time, making use of recognizable references to be understood by all generations – ie, a streaming service similar to Hulu called Huluzoo, a reference to a mouse controlling a chef like in the popular Disney film Ratatouille, and a polar bear holding a cola bottle. The abundance of references sprinkled in makes looking for them a fun scavenger hunt apart from following the main plot.

Along with the original themes of discrimination and corruption and doing the right thing, Zootopia 2 continues the implementation of hard themes by having allegories beautifully woven in for gentrification, racism, and displacement. This is most notably seen through the reptiles being outcasts from society after an accident and being forced to relocate to the hidden marsh market. This aspect develops within the layers of humor and plot and takes audiences deeper than just a typical kids’ film, bringing real-life themes that give the film a depth that most animated movies can’t achieve.

Zootopia 2 is packed to the brim with humor, twists, lessons, and characters, but this can occasionally lead to the movie feeling too full and hard to focus on everything that’s happening. The sequel brings in a whole new slate of new characters, which excels in expanding the world and story of Zootopia, but it comes with the cost of returning side characters feeling underused and underdeveloped. This doesn’t affect the movie as a whole, but contributes to a feeling of too much content at times.

The high-energy entertaining story, balanced with lessons and deep emotions, makes Zootopia 2 a 9/10 in my book,  and is totally worth your time.

Hop, run, walk, slither, trot, or do whatever you can to make your way to the theaters to enjoy this humorous, engaging film with your family this holiday season.